Please include a brief description of your understanding of the need to support Black mothers, particularly in the US, at this time.
Oooof, there is such a need- during pregnancy and postpartum as well. We see that need reflected in pregnancy related deaths experienced by black women in contrast to white women; racial disparities; daily experiences with racism/micro-aggressions, and different experiences within the health care system. Seeking support in the form of services, which are sensitive, caring, and effective shouldn't be another hardship for black moms.
Who tends to be a good fit for you and the work you do? Who is not a good fit?
Good fit: POC. Folks who are navigating anxiety, perfectionism, self-doubt, questions around identity/identity exploration, difficulties with relationships (familial/romantic etc).
Not a good fit: People under 18. Frequent/active suicidal ideation or current self harm (I can't provide the level of support that these folks deserve).
Please use this space to include your own experience as a mother or the experience you have supporting a mother(s).
I'm not a mom (yeeet?). I've supported mommas as an older sister and an auntie:) My little brother is 14 years younger than me so I feel like I've gotten some sense of what it is like to see a little one grow (to the extent that I could, not being his mom). And I support when I can, with my little niece.
Name at least three easy to apply/practical tips we can all use to take care of ourselves, based on the knowledge and wisdom you have gained throughout your career so far.
*Paying attention to what your body is saying and telling you- grounding in physical sensations. Cortney told me a while back that we are often taught to not trust ourselves and our intuition. A way back to that is to ground in how we're feeling physically...and to what our bodies are saying.
*Asking yourself, why does what I am feeling make sense? It can be helpful in validating our experiences and our emotions. A tip that goes with this, which might feel a little silly, is saying how we feel in the third person (I've done this!) and saying why you feel that way (ex:___ is feeling ____ because of ____).
*If you're having a self critical thought, where you're saying to yourself "I am____" and you're really buying into that thought and feeling it deeply, using a technique to separate from it a bit can be helpful. 1st repeat to yourself "I am having the thought that I am_____" and then repeating to yourself "I am noticing that I am having the thought that I am ____"). It helps distance yourself from that thought and label the thought for what it is: a thought, not a reality.
